fire breather smoke eater

A tiny bit over a month ago, I wrote the following, about the class I’m taking this semester:

Visual Literacy, a lit department class that seems promising and is mostly online. This is kinda my jam, but I think that it won’t be overly easy and boring for me. I’ll keep you up to date.

In the interest of keeping you up to date: the text is interesting, but I may have been wrong about it not being overly easy and boring. My current project is figuring out how to raise the level of discussion on the class discussion board without sounding condescending, when the current norm is people saying things like, “A rose will always symbolize romance, and a woman will always symbolize beauty.”

Also, while on the subject of Indian food — the “Kashmiri” lunch truck, which disappeared last fall because the woman said she was opening a restaurant in North Oakland, has returned. I didn’t ask what happened to the restaurant plan; I’m a little bit afraid of her. Excited about the additional lunch option, though. It’s located next to the two remaining Thai trucks, on Bigelow Boulevard between Fifth and O’Hara, right across from Soldiers & Sailors. Go show her that you’re glad she’s back.

Also, for good measure, check out this local news story that made me laugh: “Smoke eater” has city official seeing red. Quick synopsis: Darlene Harris realizes she’s not allowed to smoke in the City-County Building. Requisitions fan to blow smoke out of her office so that she won’t get caught. Clever Public Works employee buys her “SMOKE EATER” instead, to call attention to this. Media picks up story, Darlene Harris served again. Beautiful.